DMACC hires new Carroll provost

Perry native Joel Lundstrom coming from Manhattan, Kan.

Des Moines Area Community College this morning announced the hiring of Joel Lundstrom, a Perry native and Kansas educator, as provost of the growing Carroll campus.

Lundstrom's expected start date is May 27. He succeeds Steve Schulz who left in December to become president of North Iowa Area Community College in Mason City.

"He has the right mix of skills," said DMACC executive vice president for academic affairs Kim Linduska.

Lundstrom is currently vice president of student services at Manhattan Area Technical College in the same city where Kansas State University is located. He earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Northern Iowa in 2000 before going on to collect both a master's and doctorate from Kansas State in industrial/organizational psychology.

A DMACC provost search committee interviewed Lundstrom on campus in Carroll. He also had an opportunity to meet with students, faculty and community members.

"His enthusiasm is contagious," Linduska said.

Prior to being at Manhattan Tech, Lundstrom served as associate dean of distance learning, a department chair and psychology instructor at Barton Community College in Fort Riley, Kan. - home of a major American military base for the U.S. Army's 1st Infantry Division, known as "The Big Red One."

He's worked on programs for members of the military at the community college and has also been involved in joint efforts with Kansas State and Kansas University.

"I am passionate about the role community colleges play in the lives of students and our educational system," Lundstrom said.

Lundstrom brings a wealth of experience in the emerging area of online learning. At Barton, the distance learning program worked with more than 12,000 students, and Lundstrom interacted with 100 full-time and part-time faculty from all over the nation.

The advertised salary range for the Carroll provost position is $105,000 to $131,000. Lundstrom is expected to start at the high end of that based on his education and experience.

DMACC plans to hold campus and community receptions for Lundstrom in June.